Internal combustion engine



March 26, 1935.

H. J. HICKEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed Jan. 8, V1932 I5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. i

nventor ywM/m/l/ Gttorneg March 26, 1935. H. J. HlcKEY ,1,995,307

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed Jan, 8, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheei. 2

nventor Gttorneg March 26, 1935 y H. J, HlCKEY 1,995,307

u INTERNAL COMBUsToN ENGINE Original Filed Jan. 8, 1932 3 SheeLS-Shee'. 5

Smne'ntot Hf/ve/ d, MCA/5V Gttorneg Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES 'PATENT Aor'rlci:

Application January 8, 1932, Serial No. 585,434 Renewed June 23, 1934 Claims.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines. The objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a reciprocating engine whereby the working or power piston is reciprocated 5 by an additional power impulse after the working piston is initially forced inwardly, thus providing a working or power piston having a multiple power impulse during one power stroke;

Second, to provide. a novelly constructed interlO nal combustion engine or novel means for carrying into effect the foregoing function;

Third, to provide an engine in which the valve operating cam shaft operates 'at one-fourth of, the engine speed; Y

Fourth, to provide an exhaust valve piston which is lined so that the heat from the explosive gases is not imparted to the walls of the exhaust piston readily and the latter expanded when the piston is made of readily expansible metal;

Fifth, to provide an engine of this class in which the intake valve cylinder is prevented from being impinged against by the intake gases and thlus prevented from dissolving the lubricating o1 Sixth, to provide a valve piston of this class that is only slightly affected by the compression and explosion of the fuel gases within the working cylinder, thus permitting the valve piston to be readily reciprocated; and

Seventh, to provide an engine of this class which is simple and economical of construction, considering its functions, which is durable, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear'hereinafter, I have devised an internal combustion engine having certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional, elevational view of an internal combustion engine incorporating my invention, the view being taken transversely of the engine to illustrate the relative positions of the working and the valve pistons, and the crank and cam shafts; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof taken through 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken through 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken through 4 4 of Fig. i; and Figs. 5, 6, '1, and

(Cl. 12S-188) 8 are diagrammatic views showing respectively the intake, the compression, and the rst and second explosion positions of the working pistons.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The combustion or working cylinder 1, the intake valve cylinder 2, and the exhaust valve cylinder 3 of the engine illustrated in the drawings, are cast in a single block at the opposite sides of the working cylinder, but it is obvious that the cylinders may be separate members appropriately connected together. In the cylinder 1 is reciprocally mounted the power or working piston 4 while in the intake and exhaust valve cylinders are reciprocally mounted theintake piston 5 and the exhaust piston 6. The working piston 4 is connected by means of a connecting rod 7 to the main crank shaft 8. The intake and exhaust valves or pistons 5 and 6 areconnected respectively by intake and exhaust connecting rods 9 and 10 respectively to the cam shafts 11 and 12 respectively, which cam shafts are in the form of crank shafts. These crank shafts 11 and 12 are so connected to the main crank shaft 8 that the cam shafts operate at one-fourth engine speed. Said shafts are connected by suitable gearing or as shown by the drawings, by a small sprocket 13 onthe main crank shaft 8, by large sprockets 14, secured to the shafts 11 and 12 and by a chain 15 for rotating all of said shafts in the directions of the arrows. By the rotation of the cam or crank shafts 11 and 12 by the means described, the valve pistons 5 and 6 are reciprocated one-fourth as often as the main or working piston 4, the valve openings in such valve pistons occurring when the valve pistons move upwardly and when they move downwardly. Thus two valve openings occur during each stroke of the valve piston, or make an explosion or power stroke during every two revolutions or four strokes of the Working piston, thus providing what is called a four-cycle internal combustion engine.

The working cylinder 1 is in this instance, provided with a pair of intake ports 16 and 1'7 at one side of the engine and with a' pair of exhaust ports 18 and 19 at the diametrically opposite sides of the engine. Both the intake and exhaust ports are outwardly diverging as shown best in Fig. 1 and are adapted respectively to register with intake ports 5a and 5b in the intake valve piston 5 and with exhaust ports 6a and 6b in the exhaust valve piston 6. The intake valve piston 5, is hollow at its upper portion and is connected with the intake ports 16 and 17 by the openings or ports 5a respectively. T'he exhaust valve piston is also hollow at its upper portion and provided with the ports 6a and 6b which are longitudinally spaced apart and adapted to register with the ports 18 and 19 respectively. The operation of the ports in the cylinders and in the pistons will be described hereafter. The intake and exhaust ports connecting the working cylinders 1 with the intake and exhaust valve cylinders, namely; the ports 16, 17, 18, and 19 are relatively wide and large and are provided at their central or median portions with portions or piers 20 for dividing such ports to one-half their size so that substantially no obstruction is offered to the reciprocation of the main piston 4 and` the valve piston.

In order to facilitate the reciprocation of the valve pistons 5 and 6, the portions of such pistons at the compression of the fuel gases occurs as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, or at which the explosion occured are recessed or reduced in diameter so that substantially all of the gases under compression surround the valve pistons, such reduced portions being indicated by 6c and 5c shown best in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. These reduced portions 5c and 6c extend preferably only partially around the valve pistons 5 and 6 and are connected at their ends by passages 5d and 6d which are positioned inwardly from the periphery of said valve pistons, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4. 'Ihese inwardly extending connecting portions 5d and 6d leave portions 5e and 6e at the periphery which may cover oil grooves 2a and 3a in the valve cylinders 2 and 3 and shown respectively in Figs. 4 and both valve pistons being shown in Fig. 1 with the reduced or clearance portions, described above.

In order to prevent the oil or other lubricating means in the cylinders 2 from being washed off or being dissolved, a nipple 21 may connect the intake piston 5 with the intake manifold 22. lSuch nipple is preferably in the form of a sleeve which is secured to themanifold 22 'and around which the intake valve piston 5 is positioned and reciprocated as shown best in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

Pistons usually are made from a very strong metal which conducts heat readily. I have found that the conduction of heat by the exhaust valve pistons necessarily expand such pistons. 'Ihe expansion of exhaust valve pistons is reduced considerably by lining the exhaust pistons with a steel sleeve 23, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. Thus the exhaust gases are conducted substantially directly from the explosion chamber through the sleeve 23 into the`exhaust manifold 24.

l The operation of 'my engine is briefly as rolows:

Intake or fuel gases enter the hollow portion of the piston 5, and from the interior of the piston 5 they enter the compression chamber through ports 5a and 5b in said intake piston and through ports 16 and 17 connecting the combustion chamber with the cylinders of the intake piston, as

shown in Fig. 5. During the upward stroke of the working piston 4, as shown in Fig. 6, fuel gases are compressed in the intake port or passage 17 and in the exhaust port or passage 19 as well as in the clearance spaces or reduced portions 5c around the intake pistons. During the end of the compression stroke, fuel gas is compressed in the combustion chamber of the cylinder 1, the ports or passages 16 and 18 as well'as in the clearance spaces or reduced portions around the valve pistons 5 and 6. As soon as the gases are ignited, the exploding fuel gases in the combustion chamber, the ports or passages 16 and 18. and in the clearance spaces or reduced portions of the valve pistons 5 and 6, force the working pistons downwardly or inwardly, as shown in Fig. 7. As soon as the gases above mentioned are exploded, the Working piston uncovers the ports or passages 17 and 19. Then a second explosion occurs as the working piston descends. That second explosion gives a powerl impact to the pistons which materially increases the power attainable from such pistons as shown in Fig. 8.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do'not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an engine of the class described, a Working cylinder, a working piston reciprocally mounted therein, said working cylinder being provided at its upper portion with a pair of longitudinally spaced apart intake ports and a pair of longitudinally spaced apart exhaust ports, one of said intake ports and one of said exhaust ports being positioned inwardly and adapted to be covered and uncovered by said working piston, and means for controlling the other ends of said ports.

2. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a working piston reciprocally mounted therein said working cylinder being provided at its upper portion with a pair of longitudinally spaced apart intake ports and a pair of longitudinally spaced apart exhaust ports, one of said intakeI ports and one of said exhaust ports being positioned inwardly and adapted to be covered and uncovered by said working piston, and a pair of valve pistons for controlling the outer ends of the intake ports and the outer ends of the exhaust ports.

3. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted theref in, said working cylinder being provided with intake and exhaust ports adjacent the outer end of the working cylinder and intake and exhaust ports connected with the working cylinder intermediate the ends thereof, the intake and exhaust ports intermediate the ends of the working cylinder being uncovered and covered by said piston, and valves for uncovering and closing the outer ends of said ports.

4. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, said working cylinder being provided with intake and exhaust ports adjacent the outer end of the working cylinder and intake and exhaust ports connected with the working cylinder intermediate the ends thereof, the intake and exhaust ports intermediate the ends `of the working cylinder being uncovered and covered by said piston and piston valves for uncovering and closing the outer ends of said ports, and operatively connected with the first piston.

5. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, said working cylinder having a pair of intake'V being positioned at the outer end of said working cylinder, and the other of said ports being positioned intermediate the ends o f the working cylinder adapted to be uncovered and covered by the piston reciprocally mounted therein, and valves positioned and mounted to uncover and close the outer ends of said ports.

6. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, said working cylinder having a pair of diverging intake ports at one side and a pair of diverging exhaust ports at the opposite side thereof, one port of one pair being positioned at the outer end of said working cylinder, and the other of said ports being positioned intermediate the ends of the working cylinder and adapted to be uncovered and covered by the piston reciprocally mounted therein, and intake valve pistons operatively connected with said working pistons and mounted to close the outer ends of said intake ports, and an exhaust valve piston operatively connected with said working piston and mounted to close the outer ends of said exhaust ports.

'7. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, said working cylinder having a pair of diverging intake ports at one side and a pair of diverging` exhaust ports at the opposite side thereof, one port of one pair being positioned at the outer end of said working cylinder, and the other of said ports being positioned intermediate the ends of the working cylinder adapted to be uncovered and covered by the piston reciprocally mountedk therein, an intakevalve piston operatively connected with said working piston and mounted to close the outer ends of said intake ports, and an exhaust valve pistou operatively connected with said working piston and mounted to close the outer ends of said exhaust ports, each of said valve pistons having cut-out portions connected respectively with a source of fuel and with an exhaust to the atmosphere, 'said valve pistons also having reduced portions substantially circumscribing said valve pistons for receiving the compressed gases from the working cylinders and substantially equalizing the pressure on the walls of the valve pistons, the reduced portions of said valve pistons being spaced from the cut-out portions thereof and positioned to register with the ports of the working cylinder when the cut-out portions are out of registration with said ports.

8. In an engine of the class described, a working cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, said working cylinder having a pair of intake ports at one side and a pair of exhaust ports at the opposite side thereof, one port of one pair being positioned at the outer end of said working cylinder, and the other of said ports being positioned intermediate the ends of the working cylinder adapted to be uncovered and covered by the piston reciprocally mounted therein, an intake valve piston operatively connected with said working piston and mounted to close the outer ends of said intake ports, and an exhaust valve piston operatively connected with said working piston and mounted to close the outer ends of said exhaust ports, each of said valve pistons having cut-out portions connected respectively with a source of fuel and with an exhaust to the atmosphere, said valve pistons also having reduced portions substantially circumscribing said valve pistons for receiving the compressed gases in the working cylinders and substantially equalizing the pressure on the walls of the valve pistons, the reduced portions of said valve pistons being spaced from the cut-out portions thereof and positioned to register with the ports of the working cylinder when the cut-out portions are out of registration with said ports.

9. In an engine of the class described a working cylinder, a working piston reciprocably mounted therein, intake and exhaust ports opening into and extending outwardly from said cylinders and means for opening and closing said ports, at least one of said ports comprising a pair of separate longitudinally spaced apart passages, one of which passages is positioned inwardly of the other and is adapted to be covered and uncovered by said working piston.

10. In an engine of the class described a Working cylinder, a working piston reciprocably mounted therein, intake and exhaust ports opening into said working cylinder, means for opening and closing said ports, the opening and closing means for said intake port being spaced from said cylinder wall and the port being so positioned longitudinally in said cylinder as to be covered and uncovered by said working piston.

1l. In an engine of the class described a working cylinder, a valve cylinder, a port in the valve cylinder wall connected to said working cylinder, a valve piston fitted in said valve cylinder and having a. port therein adapted to move into and out of registration with the port in the valve cylinder wall as the valve piston reciprocates, said valve piston having a reduced portion adjacent said port extending almost but not completely around the piston, and a non-reduced portion between the ends of the reduced portion, said reduced portion being juxtaposed to the valve cylinder port during the working stroke of said working piston, a sealing r'ing surrounding-said piston and positioned adjacent but not in said reduced portion, a longitudinal groove in said a valve piston tted in said valve cylinder and L having a port therein adapted to move into and out of registrationwith the -port in the valve cylinder wall as the valve piston reciprocates, said valve piston Ahaving a reduced portion adjacent said port extending around the piston, and a bridge extending longitudinally over said reduced portion at a point substantially opposite said cylinder port, said reduced portion being juxtaposed to the valve cylinder port during the working stroke of said Working piston, a sealing ring surrounding said piston and positioned adjacent but not in said reduced portion, a longitudinal groove in said valve cylinder for supplying oil to said piston ring, said oil groove being juxtaposed to the bridge over the reduced portion of said valve piston whereby drainage of oil from said groove into the space between said reduced portion of the valve piston and the valve cylinder is prevented.

13. In an engine of the class described a working cylinder, a valve cylinder, a port in the valve cylinder wall connected to said working cylinder, a valve piston fitted in said valve cylinder and having a port therein adapted to move into and out of registration with the port in the valve cylinder wall as the valve piston reciprocates, said valve piston having a reduced portion adjacent said port extending almost but not completely around the piston, and a non-reduced portion between the ends of the reduced portion, said reduced portion being juxtaposed to the valve cylinder port during the working stroke of said working piston, a pair of sealing rings surrounding said piston and positioned adjacent to and on both sides of said reduced portion, a longitudinal groove in said valve cylinder for supplying oil to said piston rings, said oil groove being juxtaposed to the non-reduced portion of said valve piston whereby drainage of oil from said groove connected with a manifold and moving into and lsaid valve out of registration with said portas the valve piston reciprocates, said valve piston having adiacent said passage a reduced portion defining with cylinder a 'closed pocket disconnected from and independent of said passage substantially circumscribing the valve piston so positioned vas to register with said port when said -least one of said ports passage is out of registration therewith, whereby the pressure oi gas in said working cylinder during the compression and working strokes is applied to said valve piston substantially. equal from all sides.

15. In an engine of the class described a' working cylinder having a working piston reciprocable therein, intake and exhaust ports communicating with said working cylinder, means for opening and closing said ports, the means associated with at comprising a valve piston operatively connected with said Working piston and mounted to closel the outer end of its associated port, said piston having a passage therein connected with a manifold and moving into and out of registration with said port as the valve piston reciprocates, said valve piston having adjacent said passage a reduced portion defining with said valve cylinder a closed pocket disconnected from and independentof said passage substan- V tially circumscribing the valve piston so positioned as to register with said port when said passage is out of registrationtherewith, and a sealing ring above and below said reduced portion, Whereby the pressure of gas in said working cylinder duringthe compression and working strokes is applied to said valve piston substantially equal from all sides.

A HENRI J. HICKEY. 

